Buttery Sweet Bliss

 

Bud Basics

With so many modern hybrid strains available, it’s easy to overlook the older, purer variants - and Maple Leaf Feminized has an interesting and unusual history, at any rate. Her parent strain (a pure, landrace, Afghani Indica) hailed from the town of Mazar-I-Sharif on the border of what was then known as the USSR: a town well known for its hashish and cannabis culture.

 

Due to the town’s location, it was considered to be a likely spot for invasion by the Soviets during the Cold War, and so the locals - concerned about preserving this unique plant - gave the plant to a collector in 1979 to ensure that the line was preserved. Once smuggled out, this now-vintage herb was used to create Maple Leaf, aptly named for her foliage’s resemblance to a maple leaf.

 

Thanks to those locals, this strain has provided relaxation and profound relief to the cannabis community for generations - though most tokers are unaware that her line was once almost lost forever. Now, she’s best known for her sedating and psychedelic high, the blissful feelings she brings on, and her buttery sweet citrus flavors.

 

Medical consumers can enjoy Maple Leaf Fem too, since she’s effective at relieving most pains, and despite being Indica-dominant, is more than capable of alleviating anxiety and easing depression.

 

Growing this herb is easy enough, as though she can grow big outdoors, indoors she’s easy enough to manage with a little topping and trimming. She’s resilient to most pests and mildews, and as such is a great strain for beginners wanting to try out cannabis cultivation.

 

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Flavor and Fragrance of Maple Leaf Feminized

Strong and odorous, the sweet, citrus notes of Maple Leaf Fem blend beautifully with an earthiness that’s sure to entice any toker, just with one whiff. Light her up, and her smoke explodes into an irresistible sweetness that leaves a smooth and buttery aftertaste on the tongue.

 

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Effects

Indica-dominant, Maple Leaf Feminized induces a psychedelic high that’s far more sedating than you might realize when you first take a toke, though later on, it’s hard not to notice.

 

Slow-building like many Indica strains, the profound relaxation brought on by this 16% THC weed is deep and heavy, and you’ll find there’s little else you’d rather do than bask in the blissful feeling.

 

If you prefer a high that allows you to function more like a human being and less like the average sloth, then you can still enjoy the delights of Maple Leaf, you just need to take care with the dosage.

 

The cerebral, euphoric high you’ll experience in the early stages of smoking this herb aren’t too intense, though they’re certainly noticeable - but if you get the balance right, you can drift in this feeling for quite some time before her head-high stabilizes to become more body-oriented.

 

Once your body is in the zone, you may as well relax and enjoy the ride, as a calming sensation overtakes you from the head, through the spine and into each limb.

 

A feeling of peace and tranquility will surround you, leaving you at ease and relaxed - sometimes with an accompanying tingly sensation that has been reported by some tokers as a tad erotic. But that’s for you to decide… Many consumers have noted she’s a choice strain for meditation, however.

 

As you start to come down from Maple Leaf Fem’s high, you should expect a sleepy feeling to kick in, though of course, it depends on your tolerance. In higher doses or in those who are particularly sensitive, you’ll be off to dreamland fairly quickly.

 

And of course, there are possible adverse effects. Cottonmouth and dry eyes are considered the norm and can be fought off by making sure you stay hydrated throughout. Some with lower THC tolerances might find themselves with a mild headache, or some slight dizziness.

 

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Medical Uses of Maple Leaf Feminized

The sedating, sleep-inducing end of Maple Leaf’s high can be of great benefit to tokers who suffer from insomnia, as the slumber you’ll fall into after smoking this strain will be deep, restful and restorative.

 

Anti-inflammatory properties combined with this sedating trait make Maple Leaf Fem a potent pain-reliever, and those in the medical marijuana community have found this strain to be useful for alleviating mild to chronic pain, such as arthritis, migraines and inflammation.

 

Though not a Sativa strain, and therefore far less likely to alter your mood, this marijuana is just as efficient at relieving stress, easing anxiety and even reducing feelings of nausea to encourage appetite.

 

Tokers have also reported this strain to be therapeutic when suffering from depression, due to the deep relaxation the herb induces.

 

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Growing Maple Leaf Feminized Seeds

Indoors is where Maple Leaf Feminized thrives best, as a controlled environment is key with this weed. Indoors, hydroponics can be used to shorten the vegetative and flowering periods, without having detrimental effects on the yield. But if you’re after a more robust terpene profile and therefore richer flavors, organic soil is the way to go.

 

If you’re new to growing cannabis, this strain is hardy and fairly resilient, so she’s worth a go even if you’re inexperienced. And of course, with feminized seeds the risk of males in the batch (and pollination) is greatly decreased, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

 

At around 100cm, Maple Leaf isn’t exactly monstrous in size, but if you intend to promote outward growth, it’s better to make sure you top this mama early. Once she gets bushier, it’s better to stay on top of her trimming and pruning, as good airflow and light penetration are important to avoid the development of mold and mildew.

 

As she’s not a tall lady, we’d recommend growing her in a Sea of Green (SoG) setup if you really want to go all out on yield size, and when she’s mature and ready to reap, each square meter should provide you with around 200 grams of tasty, resinous nugs.

 

Though indoors offers more control, outdoor growers will find that Maple Leaf Fem gets taller than inside, usually reaching up to 130cm. Of course, a warm climate is best, but she’ll do well enough in a cooler environment, provided the weather isn’t too adverse.

 

Be warned: this strain has a strong scent even when growing, and privacy may be a concern if you’re cultivating this cannabis in the backyard. Regardless, each plant can produce around 200 grams of buds outdoors, ready to harvest by the third week of October in the northern hemisphere.

 

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Summary

Considering the trouble that the locals of Mazar-I-Sharif went to to preserve this strain’s predecessor, it’s no wonder that Maple Leaf Feminized can hold her own and is often labeled as one of the best Indica strains available.

 

Not merely loved for her citrus sweet and buttery flavors, this pot can also induce profoundly psychedelic highs that have you floating on clouds of bliss right up until bedtime.

 

As a medical strain, Maple Leaf shines as an anxiolytic and sedative, relieving insomnia, anxiety and even making the muddy waters of depression a little clearer. This herb and her vintage heritage are now available for you to grow in the comfort of your own home, as she thrives indoors and is an easy grow for even the most inexperienced cultivators. No fancy equipment is needed to yield healthy harvests of tasty nugs in 6 to 8 weeks.